Pyn’gani

Last Updated: 4/11/2024

Name: Pyn’gani

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Near-Human

Homeworld: Polus

Coloration: Peach, Tan, or Brown

Biology: The Pyn’gani were a humanoid species indistinguishable from Humans in appearance. Believed to be a Human offshoot, they had evolved enough unique non-visible biological and anatomical traits to be considered an entirely new species by the reign of the Galactic Empire, with their most noticeable distinction being their high tolerance for extremely low temperatures. Despite this, they still had their limits, and needed heat and shielding to survive in environments around 50 degrees below freezing and below. The Pyn’gani spoke a language of the same name, though also seemed at least capable of pronouncing Galactic Basic. Additionally, given their presumed origins, there is a high likelihood that the Pyn’gani could produce hybrid offspring with Humans. The idea that they might not have been related to Humans at all, but were instead a result of convergent evolution, was entertained by at least a few who sought to study the possibility further.

Lore: Polus was discovered by the greater galaxy just after 1000 BBY, with the Pyn’gani being introduced, or reintroduced, to the Galactic Republic and others at this time. Being reserved isolationists, at first the Pyn’gani were incredibly afraid of offworlders, keeping their distance, though the outsiders initially brought them no harm. Despite their hesitancy, they were incredibly intrigued by the various modern technologies that these new visitors used, and so, reluctantly began to form alliances and connections in an attempt to gain access to these miraculous wonders they had been shown. Still, they remained a fairly secretive species, only interacting with non-Pyn’gani when possible. Over the next few centuries, their fervent curiosity allowed them to understand and adopt many technological advancements that helped streamline and lighten their lifestyles.

One of the most impressive of these complex machines, a product of their innate understanding of temperatures and thermal dynamics, was their cold-weather prevention systems, a series of heat and generators that efficiently encapsulated their villages and structures. Requiring just enough power to operate, while protecting all of their civilizations, these defensive measures safeguarded the Pyn’gani from the fierce blizzards that ravaged Polus’ landscape, at night, often plunging the world well below what was considered negative fifty degrees (though they also still donned thick clothing at nearly all times). Understanding the cold to a degree that few other species did, they mined their world’s natural carbonite ore reserves and acquired tibanna gas from outside forces, spearheading the galaxy’s carbonite flash-freezing research front.

The Pyn’gani are sometimes credited for the creation of the carbonite freezing process through the use of chambers and casings, originally used to preserve perishable goods for long journeys across the galaxy, but later used by bounty hunters and criminals to encase living beings for security, transportation, or even as trophies. For self-defense, the Pyn’gani also shrunk this technology, developing handheld weapons known as “Carbonite Guns,” which fired streams of liquid that could instantly freeze and severely damage targets on the spot. These various findings and technologies were shared with the galaxy, though their designers generally preferred to remain as obscure and anonymous as possible. Still, their size and influence inevitably grew as they grew richer from the export of carbonite ore and its associated tech, drawing the eyes of at least a few larger galactic factions.

Around the time they were introduced into the greater galaxy, one Force Sensitive Pyn’gani was recruited by the Jedi Order, quickly rising its ranks and becoming a prolific Jedi Master. This Master, Anno Wen-Chii, would eventually return to his homeworld alongside his apprentice, hoping to learn more regarding the long-hidden nature of his species and their ambiguous origins. A millennia later, by the peak of the Galactic Civil War, the species’ total population numbered somewhere in the six hundred thousands, still almost entirely remaining on their homeworld and away from galactic ongoings, a notion made all the easier given the minimal outside population now dwelling on their harsh homeworld. A race of heavily armed, penguin-like beings, nicknamed the “Pengauani,” could also seemingly be found on Polus around this time, though the nature of their relationship with the Pyn’gani remains completely unknown.

Some time shortly prior to the destruction of the first Death Star, Polus had been declared territory under Rebel Alliance protection, becoming home to a major forward operating base and HQ for the Rebellion. Though equipped to repel an orbital invasion from the Empire, the Rebels were caught off guard when a third faction vying for supremacy during the Galactic Civil War, the Zann Consortium criminal empire, swept in and conquered the world, securing its carbonite tech for their own. The Consortium were brutal in their invasion, much less conventional in their means than the Empire would be. By 3 ABY, they had enslaved most of the Pyn’gani population, forcing many of them to expedite Polus’ mining industry and “persuading” many of the younger members of the species to join the ranks of their growing militia to help fight both the Empire and Rebellion.

Continuity: The Pyn’gani are a species exclusive to Star Wars Legends, where they will presumably remain, though, if they ever do make the jump into Canon, chances are, like many other once-Near-Human species, they will now be designated as simply Human. Technically the fate of the Pyn’gani can end a few ways given the malleable, video game-nature of their existence during the Galactic Civil War, though I chose to include what it considered the most “official” path for the species, which was considered more-or-less in-continuity within at least one iteration of the EU, if not all of it.

Unexplored: Given the sort of random and obscure nature of the Pyn’gani, originating from the Star Wars: Empire at War strategy game, and especially because they’re related to cut content from said game like the Pengauani, there’s quite a bit we don’t know about this Near-Human species, some intentionally but most of it not. I’m going to pose a fair number of questions regarding the Pyn’gani’s existence and lore, which, if answered, will help us better understand the species, mostly regardless of continuity. For starters, is it true the Pyn’gani evolved from Humans who potentially ventured to or crashed onto Polus some time in the distant past? If so, how did they initially survive, and how long did it take them to evolve the necessary adaptations to at least tolerate some of the milder conditions and climates the world had to offer? If not, what sort of creatures might they have evolved from, and why, out of every possible corporeal configuration, did they evolve to become Human-adjacent?

Staying on that same note, what other internal unique traits, organs, or features did the Pyn’gani possess that set them apart from Humans? What was their breaking point when it came to sub-zero temperatures, and were they continually evolving to bear colder and colder environments, or had their newfound heat and shield tech caused any possible evolutions to cease or maybe even begin to reverse? What were the Pyn’gani like before being officially visited by offworlders? What did things like their politics, structures, and weapons look like, and how advanced were they according to galactic standards? Who exactly first discovered (or rediscovered) them, and why, given the unwelcoming nature of Polus? What did the Pyn’gani think of offworlders, did their similarities to Humans mean anything to them, how did they perceive non-Humans, and were the “Pengauani” possibly the original inhabitants of Polus, were they a secondary race who evolved sentience later, or had they migrated there some time throughout history? Additionally, could other alien beings, non-sentient or otherwise, even survive on Polus, and, if not, what did the Pyn’gani’s diets look like?

How quickly did the Pyn’gani adopt various outside technologies, did they have an incredibly high baseline intelligence like their galactic achievements might suggest, and why were they so naturally talented when it came to thermodynamics? How did their unique technologies work, what spurred them to develop the unique carbonite tech that they did, how did they even begin to realize carbonite freezing was possible, and why did they find it necessary to create what were essentially brutal “freeze rays?” What did the Pyn’gani think of the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic, and were they ever represented on the Republic Senate or were their isolationist beliefs enough to prevent that from happening? Who were some of their biggest clients when it came to their carbonite exports, and who might they have purchased tibanna from? How wealthy did the Pyn’gani become over time, and did their communities, economical systems, and political philosophies become, and why did their population remain so small, never breaking even a million as far as we’re aware?

Did the Pyn’gani ever suffer at the hands of the Galactic Empire, potentially persecuted for their tech, and would they have faced the brunt of the Empire’s xenophobia for not being Human, or were they Human-like enough that they may have actually been allowed into the Imperial ranks? Why had the Rebel Alliance designated the planet as a headquarters aside from just access to carbonite ores and advancements? Were the Pyn’gani considered members of the Alliance, did they want to be, had they already required protection prior to the Rebellion’s arrival, or were they completely divorced from these new, neighborhood freedom fighters? How did the Rebellion lose the entire world to the Zahn Consortium, and did they ever fight to get it back or save the people? If not, what happened to the many slaves and soldiers the Consortium made of the Pyn’gani people, and what was their future life? Did they eventually regain their independence, or did they slowly suffer and fade until they were wiped from the face of the galaxy?

Additional Notes: A surprisingly fascinating species for having such a bland appearance. I honestly wish they had gotten reworked and expanded more before the “end” of the EU’s prominence, as they could have used a few additional appearances to really establish themselves as a mainstay among the franchise. I’m also sad the “Pengauani” never made it into the game (if they were ever even intended to in the first place) as that would have affected the Pyn’gani’s story and place on Polus fairly substantially. Ultimately, while I don’t see them making it into Canon for a long time, if ever, some of the founding creators of carbonite tech is a fairly important in-universe position that can’t remain unfilled forever, though I’d be interested to see, should their lore be adapted faithfully from one continuity into the other, who might replace the Zahn Consortium within Canon as their eventually oppressors. Food for thought that we can chew on while we wait to see if Star Wars does anything more with the Pyn’gani next!

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